The wind still carried shards of ice through the air as the heroes of the Kingdom and the newly arrived champions of the Empire gathered after the Frostblight's retreat.
Snow covered the frozen corpses of the fallen soldiers, and a heavy silence hung over the battlefield, broken only by the slow crackling of ice melting beneath the lingering heat of Alejandro's flames.
Alejandro wiped the sweat from his brow and looked toward his companions: Lusian, Kara, Emily, and Dorian.
Across from them, the two newly arrived Imperial heroes—Erik and Selene—studied the battlefield with calculating eyes. Their divine artifacts still crackled with energy, ready for another threat even though the Frostblight had already vanished.
Kara was the one who finally broke the silence.
"How many from the legions survived?"
An Imperial officer lowered his head, counting with visible grief.
"…Less than half. The two legions advancing through this region… have been devastated. Most froze to death. The few who endured… are no longer capable of fighting."
Lusian observed the scene with a strange calm.
No one here knew that he had faced the Frostblight before—though in another life, in another world. Every movement of the creature was familiar to him.
That knowledge allowed him to analyze its behavior with cold clarity.
The beast was intelligent.Patient.
And it only attacked when it held absolute advantage.
Emily stepped closer to Alejandro, still trembling.
"I can't believe you… actually stopped it," she said, pointing at the melted ice. "That was… incredible."
Alejandro shook his head, breathing heavily.
"I didn't stop it. I just… convinced it that fighting us wasn't worth the effort."
"Convinced it?" Selene raised an eyebrow. "Some of us don't have that luxury when dealing with predators like that."
Kara turned toward Lusian.
He had arrived with the troops who had stayed behind at his command—solely to guard Princess Elizabeth.
His arms were crossed, his expression unreadable.
Inside, however, he was calculating.
If the Frostblight returned, he knew how to hold it at bay… and eventually how to kill it.
Though it would be difficult.
And extremely dangerous.
But none of that mattered right now.
His priority was Elizabeth—and ensuring she reached the Imperial capital alive.
Erik spoke in a grave tone.
"The Empire is already assessing the losses. Without immediate reinforcements, this entire region will remain exposed."
Lusian turned his head slightly, completely calm.
"It is not our responsibility to save the Empire. Our task is to ensure the princess arrives safely. Everything else… can wait."
The Imperial heroes looked at him with suspicion—and irritation.
One of them stepped forward, tension in his voice.
"And who exactly are you? Why aren't you fighting alongside us?"
Lusian watched them for a moment.
Unhurried.
Then he spoke, his voice firm, measured—carrying an authority that seemed heavier than the snow itself.
"I am Lusian Douglas of Mondring."
The name struck them like a blast of frozen wind.
The air itself seemed to grow denser—heavier than the silence the Frostblight had left behind.
Some soldiers exchanged pale looks.
Imperial veterans murmured under their breath.
The war records and legends of the Douglas family were widely known.
"The Reaper of Death," they called him.
His campaigns had carved scars across both the Kingdom and the Empire, leaving trails of fire and blood in every battlefield he had crossed.
No one dared respond.
Not Alejandro.
Not Leonardo.
Not even the Imperial heroes.
Even the Frostblight itself, had it been present, might have felt the weight of the human power standing before them.
Kara stepped forward, understanding the effect Lusian's name had on everyone.
She lowered her voice slightly.
"He… protects the princess. That's all that matters."
Elizabeth nodded firmly.
Yet the weight of that name—and that man—remained hanging in the air.
Lusian was not a hero.
He was a force of human nature.
And even if his intentions were clear now, fear and respect lingered around him, as dense as the falling snow.
The Frostblight had disappeared into the distance.
Yet the cold it left behind seemed to remain with them.
The snow blanketed the battlefield like a treacherous white shroud, and the frozen bodies of soldiers and civilians stood as a grim reminder of what had happened only minutes earlier.
The Camp
The camp was organized quickly.
Reinforced tents inscribed with heat runes rose among the pine trees, while blue flames burned in iron braziers, pushing back the unnatural cold.
The wounded were treated by the followers of Kara and Elizabeth.
Meanwhile, the heroes took a moment to assess the situation.
It was then that two new figures drew everyone's attention.
Sir Cael Veyron.
And Miriel.
Two commoners chosen by the gods.
Cael possessed an Omega ice affinity, and his mastery of elemental control was undeniable.
His presence required no grand introduction.
With a simple motion of his staff, crystalline walls of ice rose from the ground, forming protective barriers around the wounded soldiers.
His gaze was cold and analytical, scanning every corner of the camp as if anticipating threats before they even appeared.
There was no arrogance in him.
Only the quiet focus of someone chosen by the divine to wage war with discipline and precision.
Snow continued falling over the makeshift camp.
The wounded lay beneath blankets while the air smelled faintly of iron and residual mana.
Every passing moment sent shivers through the Imperial soldiers.
The memory of the Frostblight still haunted them.
Fear whispered through the ranks.
Among them moved Cael Veyron and Miriel.
Their movements were calm.
Efficient.
Experienced.
Cael lifted his staff once more, and pillars of ice rapidly formed along the flanks of the camp.
Beside him, Miriel placed a hand on the frozen earth.
Green runes glowed softly.
Roots and stone rose from the ground, forming natural barricades that shielded the injured.
Alejandro, Leonardo, Kara, and Emily watched in silence.
There was no rivalry between them.
All of them were Omega heroes.
All of them had been blessed by the gods.
All of them carried the same burden.
"With the wounded secured, we can begin planning our next move," Alejandro said while inspecting the defensive positions.
Cael gave a slight nod.
Miriel adjusted her shield, runes glowing faintly across her hands as she reinforced the earth beneath their feet.
Every movement was precise.
Efficient.
Focused on survival and protection—not on displays of power.
The Decision
Inside the command tent, a map of the region lay spread across a wooden table.
Torchlight cast flickering shadows across the tense faces of the heroes.
Emily led the discussion while Kara and Alejandro listened closely.
Leonardo remained silent, carefully analyzing the terrain and the army's remaining strength.
Cael and Miriel stepped forward.
"If we intend to face the Frostblight," Cael said firmly, "we will need every available resource. The army must advance with us."
"No," Emily interrupted.
Her voice was calm—but the frustration beneath it was unmistakable.
"This army does not belong to us. It is under Princess Elizabeth's command."
Cael frowned.
"We cannot remain here. That monster will continue destroying everything in its path."
Miriel nodded, determination shining in her eyes.
Emily exhaled slowly.
"I understand. But Lusian will not leave the princess. Our mission is to escort Elizabeth safely to the capital. Nothing will change that."
The heroes exchanged glances.
They all understood the weight of the decision.
Protecting the princess came first—even if it meant leaving a monster free to devastate the southern lands.
Finally Alejandro spoke.
"Then we move quickly. We'll go after the Frostblight."
Cael and Miriel nodded.
They were ready to hunt the monster alongside the heroes of the Kingdom.
But Leonardo spoke next, his voice calm and firm.
"We cannot stay here. Every minute that passes, the monster moves farther south and more villages will suffer."
His gaze shifted toward Lusian.
Who did not blink.
"We should go to the capital. Regroup our forces. Then organize the hunt properly."
Emily left the tent and walked through the camp until she found Lusian.
He stood at the edge of the clearing, watching the falling snow.
Elizabeth stood beside him, murmuring quietly, clearly uneasy about the situation.
"Lusian," Emily said, her voice firm but worried. "The heroes want to pursue the Frostblight. If we leave it alone, the entire region will be in danger."
Lusian sighed.
Without taking his eyes off Elizabeth, he let Emily see the tension in his face.
Then he turned toward her.
Emily felt the conflict inside him—duty and affection intertwined.
"Then we will head for the capital," Lusian said decisively. "Elizabeth will not leave my side. And I will not leave hers."
Emily frowned, caught between frustration and resignation.
But seeing the determination in her fiancé's eyes made her heart stir.
She knew Lusian would never yield.
And she also understood something else.
Protecting the princess had now become his absolute priority.
"Very well," she whispered softly.
"Just be careful," Lusian said.
He touched her arm briefly.
The gesture was small.
Almost imperceptible.
But Emily felt that it said far more than words ever could.